Food Safety: Can Eating Leftover Rice Make You Sick?
Do you leave the leftover rice for the night? While it may save you time and energy, it can also potentially make you very sick. However, with a few guidelines, you will be able to use your cooked rice more than once. Here’s how.
So you leave a stash of rice every morning in the fridge so you have one less thing to cook tonight? Score! But if you take a closer look, you will notice that the grains of the old rice are clumped together and dried out. And simply sticking the bowl in the micro oven to reheat doesn’t help either. Not just that, if eating leftover rice is a part of your routine, you could be at risk of falling sick. You need to follow these food safety guidelines to avoid falling sick.
Do Not Leave Cooked Rice in Room Temperature for Too Long
First of all, you should not let your rice sit outside for more than an hour. Uncooked rice contains spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacteria that causes food poisoning. The bacteria can survive after cooking and the longer it is left out, the higher is the chance of the bacteria to multiply and potentially produce toxins. The result? If bacteria form, you might just end up with an uncomfortable bout of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Limit Cooking the Rice for One Meal
The best idea is always to cook the amount of rice you want to eat and serve it hot. But if you are pressed for time and want to pass it on for later, the best idea is to put it in the fridge as soon as it is cooled down. How to remove starch from rice? Cut calories in rice with this simple trick to reduce weight.
Do Not Reheat Rice More Than Once
Unfortunately, stretching your leftover all week is not a good idea. Store it no longer than the next meal. You should not reheat rice more than once, and when you are doing it, you must ensure that it is steaming all the way through. Parboiling reduces the amount of arsenic in rice, finds study.
Right Way to Reheat Precooked Rice
With a little magic, you will be able to transform a block of dry rice to a fluffy one.
Method 1: Simply place the bowl of rice in the oven and sprinkle some water. Cover with a lid and microwave for two minutes until it is evenly done.
Method 2: Spread out the rice on a microwave-safe plate and use a fork to de-clump the rice. Then place a paper towel and heat the rice on ‘high’ for one and a half minutes.
However, the best way to eat leftover rice is to use them in stir-fries. Just heat some oil in a pan and add your rice until the clump breaks through. Then add your go-to vegetables and cook your way to a favourite recipe.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2019 04:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).